The invention relates to apparatus and procedures designed to correct mechanical disorders of the spine.
The backbone is a complex structure and misuse of the body can result in spinal disorders producing various types of back or neck pain. The precise mechanical disorder is often difficult to diagnose, and even if the source of a malfunction can be determined, the correction of the disorder is far from easy as interactions between vertebrae are incredibly complex, and thus correction of a fault in one area can lead to transference of the problem, possibly in a modified form to another area. Attempted correction of the transferred problem can then lead to the reappearance of the original problem. A further type of disorder results from loss of mobility of the joints of the dorsal spine. Consequently remedial manipulation applied to a vertebra will result in movement of adjacent ones and it is difficult to increase the intravertebral mobility other than over a substantial period of treatments, using conventional manipulative techniques. The invention aims to provide both apparatus and manipulative procedures using that apparatus which enable a physiotherapist to achieve substantial improvements to the conditions referred to above in a relatively short time in the majority of cases.